Dill is a popular pickling herb with an impressive historical pedigree. Its uses date back to the bible. That lanky, fernlike, yellow flowered plant you see in the produce department of your grocery store was once so valuable that it was kept under lock and key.

Dill is a biennial warm-season herb, very sensitive to light-freezes and frost. Dill is not technically a perennial plant, because a single plant only lives 2 years. It is quite proficient at self seeding (if allowed). If let grow naturally, A single dill plant should come back year after year. As a seed, its used primarily for pickling (dill pickles).

Planting & CareThis plant likes mild weather and is best in the spring and again in fall. You may set out plants following the last spring frost and then plant again two months prior to the first winter frost. Space them 12 to 15 inches apart. Be sure to keep plants watered in dry weather.

Plants may need staking when in bloom to keep the tall flower stems—true butterfly magnets—from falling over, especially if you get a lot of wind. You can keep plants cut to delay flowering and extend your harvest, or harvest the whole plant as soon it flowers. The first winter frost will kill dill planted in the fall. However, if it had time to go to seed, the fallen seed may produce new plants in the spring.

Sunlight: Prefers direct sun.

Soil: well-drained, loamy or sandy soils

Water: Water the plants freely during the growing season

Care:

How to start dill
Sow your dill directly in the garden under a very thin layer of soil.

Dill belongs to the carrot family with coriander, caraway, cumin and parsley, none of which like to have their roots disturbed.

If you seed after the last frost in your area, your dill will adapt better to cooler outdoor conditions and won’t suffer transplant shock.

Where to grow dill
Ideally, plant your dill in “well-drained, loamy or sandy soils,” recommends Richter, although heavier clay soils work as well.

“A half-shaded corner in the garden will produce some nice foliage too—maybe not as wonderful as that grown in full sun, but still very nice to use in cooking.

”Propagating Dill
Dill seeds readily, and one plant produces a good crop of seeds that will stay viable for years.

You can plant seeds directly outdoors, but be sure to keep them well watered.

Thin dill seedlings to about 12 inches apart.

Growing Dill Indoors
Dill can thrive indoors for a season if you can situate it in a sunny window.

The plant will be a little smaller in overall size than its outdoor brother, but will be as flavorful nonetheless.

It will still get leggy as it grows, but keeping it trimmed back a bit will help it maintain a pleasing shape

Harvesting: Time from planting to harvest is 70 days for foliage, 90 days for seeds. To harvest, snip off the leaves or young flower heads for use in soups or salads. For pickling, cut whole stalks when the plant is more mature. Gather the mature seeds for planting (although the dill will do its own planting without your help if you leave it alone) or for drying. Dill seeds can be sprouted if they are allowed to dry naturally; store the dried seeds in an airtight jar. Crumble the dried leaves, and store them the same way. For the best flavor, snip the weed with scissors rather than mincing it with a knife.

Care:

Leaf spot and occasionally a few other types of fungal leaf and root diseases

UseCulinary use:

Dill seed is a pungent ingredient found in salad dressings, pickles, sauerkraut, and even breads.

Enjoy the leaves at their peak when they are fresh, finely chopping for best flavour.

Dill can be also a handy salt substitute for people on low-sodium diets.

You can dry the leaves, but add them to dishes in greater quantity, as they are less flavourful than fresh leaves.

Dill leaves may also be preserved in oil, butter, or vinegar for pickles, or frozen in water or stock.

In general use a soil-based compost placed over a generous layer of drainage material such as earthenware crocks, pebbles or gravel. Water and feed regularly, especially while plants are bearing flowers and fruit, when a high-potash fertilizer is recommended.

Buy Decorative Pebbles :

Decorate planters or garden landscapes with these decorative pebbles :

Using pebbles in a garden brings different colours and textures to the garden. Pebbles can also fill up otherwise empty space in the garden, leaving a visual that might be considered more interesting and aesthetic than simple dirt, soil or mulch.